Child Marriage Persists in Yavniel Despite Official Awareness
Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba
In Yavniel, girls continue to marry at 14 and give birth at 15, a practice authorities are aware of but have not halted. Sarah Mimouni shared her personal story of marrying at 15 and becoming a mother at 16 within the Breslov community. Reporter Oren Aharoni investigated the issue, finding that local officials and departments deflect responsibility. The phenomenon highlights a failure to protect the childhood of girls in the community.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Girls in Yavniel are still marrying at 14 and giving birth at 15.
- Sarah Mimouni married at 15 and became a mother at 16.
- Authorities are aware of the child marriage phenomenon in Yavniel.
- Local officials and departments are deflecting responsibility for intervention.
- Reporter Oren Aharoni investigated the ongoing issue in Yavniel.
- Yavniel is currently celebrating its 125th anniversary.
In Yavniel, a community celebrating its 125th anniversary, girls as young as 14 are still being married off and becoming mothers at 15, a phenomenon that authorities are aware of but have failed to stop. Sarah Mimouni, now seeking to leave the Breslov community "Heichal HaKodesh" where she grew up, recounted her experience of being photographed at 14, then matched with a suitor from the U.S. by a rabbi. She married at 15 and became a mother at 16, recalling the surreal moment of holding her infant daughter while still a child herself. Nearly 30 years later, the practice continues, prompting reporter Oren Aharoni to investigate why protective measures are absent. Aharoni traveled to Yavniel and spoke with Mimouni, who is trying to extricate herself from the community. He also sought answers from the local council head, the religious council, and the welfare department, encountering a situation where each entity deflected responsibility. The report also touches upon a Haredi researcher fighting to change the society she grew up in.